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The Wynne Monopoly

Kathleen Wynne wants to create a cannabis monopoly in Ontario. She says it’s her bureaucrats, not the cannabis community, who have the expertise to sell cannabis. She says they are the experts because they are good at checking ID. The Liberals feel strongly about this. They feel so strongly that they held a dispensary enforcement summit in which they dreamed up all manner of new draconian unconstitutional measures too excessive and ridiculous to properly detail here.

Ontario is facing danger from gangs, guns, and poverty. Ontario has overwhelmed infrastructure, a housing crisis, and an opioid epidemic. And the Wynne Liberals are worried about dispensaries? They are concerned that their monopoly will not be absolute. Their monopoly crusade will fail because it is a mean stupid plan. There are many reasons it is a mean stupid plan. I will list six.

First, it will make Ontario less safe. It will drive cannabis business underground which means it will be less regulated. Instead of well-lit stores on main streets, with codes of conduct and labelled cannabis, it will be back-alleys and parkettes. It is in this less regulated environment where robberies and organized crime will thrive.

Second, it is doomed to fail. The cannabis community has resisted 100 yrs of prohibition, Harper-era mandatory minimums, hysterical forfeiture laws, and government sanctioned stigma. The cannabis community is strong like a hemp flag at a 420 rally. They are not going to stop now that it is legal. The Wynne Liberals know this.

Third, it will cost money when it could make money. We will have to overpay for cops, fancy new CCBO buildings, obese backroom LP contracts, and bureaucrat cannabis training. It should be a windfall in fat business licensing fees, but instead, it will cost us.

Fourth, it undermines small business. This would have been great for small business. The ingenuity and entrepreneurship of small business would flourish in this emerging sector. Vibrant small business is good for the economy and for the community. The Liberals should have some faith in Ontario small business.

Fifth, it will diminish the rich diversity in craft cannabis. There are hundreds of different strains, a wide array of cannabis products, and a diverse culture which translates into consumer choice. Choice enhances the consumer experience. Choice is good.

Sixth, it disparages the cannabis community. I hate this one the most. The cannabis community have been not just consuming cannabis for decades and decades, they have been selling it, sharing it, growing it, extracting it, storing it, cooking with it, researching it, studying it, and respecting it. Now Kathleen Wynne has the gall to come along and say her bureaucrats have the expertise to sell cannabis because they know how to ask for ID. This is a kick in the head.

The good news is that there is a provincial election on June 7, 2018, just weeks before legalization. If the Liberals are going to kick the cannabis community, then the cannabis community is going to kick back. The cannabis community will come together and boot these bad politicians from office. The cannabis community is a big community with resources. They are going to work hard and spend money so that the Kathleen Wynne Liberals lose the June 7, 2018 election. The cannabis community will not go away.

Mike Schreiner of the Green Party of Ontario has come out against the Wynne monopoly. He describes it as an attack on local farmers, craft growers, and main street businesses.

Jack MacClaren of the Trillium Party also opposes the Wynne monopoly. He believes Ontario small business could be responsibly regulated. He supports small business.

We do not yet know the NDP and the Ontario PC Party positions. It should be a good fit for both parties. The NDP usually stands up for the little guy. The Ontario PC Party support small business and believe liberty is a virtue. Patrick Brown has emphasized that he strands for the people, not the insiders. The Ontario PC Party would not create a government monopoly unless it was necessary. I believe Patrick Brown and the Ontario PC Party do not like the Wynne monopoly.

The Wynne monopoly will fail. The Liberals should have read their secret memos.